County Commission adopts resolution opposing deep well injection Featured

The Jackson County Commissioners met Tuesday and among other items, they voted 5-0 on a motion by Clint Pate and seconded by Chuck Lockey, to send a resolution to the governor.

The resolution states, “Whereas, Jackson County is concerned with the welfare of the residents and the protection of the natural resources of Jackson County, as well as the quality and reliability of Florida’s underground water resources, including the Floridan Aquifer; and

Whereas, Waste Management has sought the issuance of a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of digging an exploratory well to precede a deep injection well for the disposal of landfill wastewater, otherwise known as “leachate,” at the existing Springhill Landfill site in Campbellton, Florida; and

Whereas, on May 23, 2017 Jackson County held a public hearing during which the community at large expressed vehement opposition to the exploratory well; and

Whereas, Jackson County supports the overwhelming majority of the residents of Jackson County who strongly oppose the exploratory well as well as any subsequent deep injection disposal well;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Jackson County Board of Commissioners strongly opposes the issuance by the Department of Environmental Protection a permit to Waste Management or any other for-profit corporation engaged in the business of waste disposal approving the digging of an exploratory well and any subsequent deep injection well in Jackson County for the purposes of leachate or other landfill waste disposal.”

Following the vote on this resolution, Commissioner Chuck Lockey expressed concern over calls he was receiving about a possible poll being conducted on behalf of Waste Management. He told the commission and those in attendance the first question asked was something along the lines of their employment. If they were an elected official or in a capacity similar to that, the caller hung up. He referenced a post on social media that indicated Jackson County residents were in danger of losing their garbage service if the permit was not granted. Lockey assured everyone there that was NOT the case, that there was no danger of Jackson County being without garbage service.